Talk to the Animals

Felipe Garcia '14 Bound for Veterinary School

Felipe Garcia’s interest in animals took a more serious turn as he prepared to begin college. Garcia has long been passionate about animals, spending his summers working at Jungle Island, an interactive zoo located in Miami, Fla. During the summers of his sophomore and junior years at Hamilton Garcia attended the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Medicine Program for undergraduates.

Garcia said, “Both opportunities helped solidify my interest in veterinary medicine.” Inspired by his internship and career-related experiences, Garcia applied and was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

After attending Penn’s Veterinary Medicine School Garcia hopes to practice in a diverse community where multiple languages are spoken and where he can assist animals by helping their owners communicate their pet’s problem to the veterinarian.

He explains, “I like interacting with people and figuring out the puzzle to determine the diagnosis for the animal.”

Garcia is driven by an experience he had during one of his internships when a client came into the animal hospital and had difficulty communicating with the doctor. Felipe decided to step in and serve as a translator in order to get the proper diagnosis.

Garcia majored in biology on a pre-veterinary track and was the senior class president, a residential advisor and a biology teaching assistant. He also was an Oral Communications Center tutor, chair of the Food Committee and Senior Week Committee Chair. Garcia thanks Professors Ashleigh Smythe and Sue Ann Miller for helping spark his interest in veterinary medicine.

He is the son of Maria F Garcia of Miami, and a graduate of Coral Gables High School.